5.6.11

All Saints - To buy or not to buy

The All Saints mobile app has been designed coherently with their brand. Dark, moody, mysterious and fashionable. The menu buttons, white text on black banners protrude from the lower bar whilst similar navigation icons sweep the bottom of the app. Yet, if you were looking for something that sold this brand to you, you might be looking for a long time.

The image above appears once the user has chosen the 'Shop' category from the main screen. The All Saints consumer can shop for Men's, Women's and Children's clothing in addition to homeware, gifts and an archive of clothing and gift products. In terms of purchasing, this app has really been thought out carefully. The products are categorised clearly and easily for the user to recognise and select. It couldn't be easier to find the type of product you were searching for, especially with the search function on the main screen.

After navigating into a category, the user is offered a promotional image representing the category, in the case of the image below, a model wearing an elegant black dress, that matches the 'Premium Dresses' category the user has chosen. Each product is then listed displaying a product name and price, for the user to scroll through vertically.

The product section is also reasonably user friendly. The product displayed centrally, allowing for further product views and an in-depth product description. The user can swiftly 'add' the product to their bag as well as being able to email the product to a friend, view the products care and size guides and add the product to their personal wish list.

In contrast to the French Connection app that I previously reviewed, this app has really put effort into their services and information feature. A clearly defined list of help and service categories, perfect for finding exactly what you need. It is such an important feature, especially with the lack of trust that consumers still feel towards such innovative purchasing channels, so it is surprising how many brands have not strived to make their consumers feel secure.

Yet, when it comes to further features for the consumer, this app is lacking. It has been designed, it seems, solely as a purchasing channel, not as a place for consumers to learn about the brand, its events, personality, promotions or the trends and styles they follow. There is nothing to really offer the consumer an experience, just the ability to buy from the brand. For All Saints, it is understandable that they are interested in creating a further purchasing channel for their consumers, yet it is often essential to offer the consumer something in return.

For the fact that the purchasing aspect of this app is beautifully designed yet does not offer the consumer much more, this app has been awarded 3 stars.